The present invention relates to the art of games of chance. It finds particular application in conjunction with bingo games, and will be described with particular reference thereto. It is to be appreciated, however, that the invention is also amenable to other like applications.
The game of bingo and its many variations are generally known. Commonly, bingo games are conducted by charities and/or other organizations in a bingo hall or parlor with many players participating. A game operator administers the bingo games to the players and manages or regulates game play from what is known as a bingo console.
A traditional bingo console consists of a single console integrating together, among other elements, a ball chamber, an analog video camera, a ball tray, a game computer, and a local video display. At the beginning of a game, the ball chamber is typically loaded with a plurality of sequentially numbered bingo balls, e.g., either 75 or 90. A blower motor attached to chamber mixes the bingo balls with airflow. Eventually, random balls proceed in turn up a ball delivery tube from the ball chamber. As the balls are dispensed from the ball chamber, the operator retrieves the ball from the delivery tube and holds it in front of the analog video camera. The camera provides a direct analog image of the ball to one or more television (TV) monitors located in the bingo facility to provide the players with a clear view of the latest drawn random ball number. The operator then places the ball in the ball tray and calls out the ball number to the players.
The ball tray includes a number of holes or recesses corresponding to the sequentially numbered balls. Preferably, as each ball is retrieved, it is placed in its corresponding hole by the operator. Each hole is equipped with a corresponding switch. All of the switches are typically wired to form a switch matrix. The switch matrix is then cabled to the game computer that periodically scans the switch matrix to detect the insertion of a ball into one of the holes thereby activating the corresponding switch. The game computer then displays the ball number for the operator on the local video display and transmits the ball information to one or more remote Dashboards via a serial communications cable. The remote Dashboards commonly include a list or matrix of ball numbers, each one of which may be selectively illuminated to indicate to the players the status of a particular ball, i.e., already drawn or not yet drawn.
The game computer remembers all the balls drawn in a game and it sends all the ball information to the Dashboards. The Dashboards therefore indicate all of the balls that have been drawn during the game. For easy recognition, the flashboards, under the control of the game computer, are typically made to blink on and off the respective number of the latest ball drawn. Occasionally, the operator misplaces a ball in the ball tray, i.e., puts it in the wrong hole. The game computer also typically allows the operator to reset the errant ball number electronically, e.g., via a computer keyboard or display touch panel, and then re-insert the ball in the proper hole.
While the traditional bingo console generally serves its purpose well, there has heretofore been a desire for improvement. That is to say, the traditional bingo console has certain limitations which are disadvantageous in particular circumstances that commonly arise in connection with conducting bingo games.
For example, in many bingo facilities, there are multiple Dashboards and multiple TV monitors. Typically, these facilities also play two independent types of bingo games during a gaming session, e.g., so called main bingo and tear open bingo, as are known in the art. A plurality main bingo games are played during a session, but typically, only one tear open game is played during the session. The tear open game is often started at the beginning of the session and then suspended. The main bingo games are then played. Near the end of a session, the tear open game is resumed and finished. Since the tear open game is suspended and then resumed, the bingo balls that had been drawn and those that remain in the ball chamber are preferably not disturbed during play of the main bingo games. Accordingly, it would be advantageous in such situations to have two independent ball chambers and ball trays. However, in traditional bingo consoles, only one ball chamber and tray is typically provided per console, and it comes integrated with its own set of dedicated electronics, game computer, etc. Therefore, to accommodate two independent ball chambers and ball trays, an operator or organization has to buy and/or maintain two complete and distinct bingo consoles. The purchase of two bingo consoles can be a costly endeavor, particularly for a charitable organization.
Another issue that arises as the result of using two distinct bingo consoles is that the Dashboard and TV monitor connections must be switched between the consoles depending upon which game is currently being played. Traditionally, this has been accomplished with a manual, multi-pole switch.
Another exemplary limitation is that on occasion, the game or other console electronics may experience a failure and loose the memory of what balls have been drawn and/or other gaming data. This failure can result in the inability to continue with the game and may cause many players to be dissatisfied. The problem may be the result of hard disk drive failures, memory failures, display or touch screen failures, electrostatic discharge (ESD) from the operator, etc. In many cases, interruptions or disturbances on the AC power line to the game computer during gaming operations can cause the loss data. While bingo facility operators may install an external uninterruptible power supply (UPS) to power the bingo console to alleviate the power problem, that will not solve the other failure issues and a complete backup computer can be costly to implement.
Yet another potential drawback of the traditional bingo console it that the total size and weight of an integrated bingo console may be significantly difficult for installation personnel to handle and install, e.g., during loading and unloading from trucks, negotiating stairwells in a multi-story bingo facility, etc. Also, occasionally, operators take issue with the fact that the local video display, keyboard, etc. are arranged on the left or right side of a console and their location is fixed by the physical aspects of the console's construction.
The present invention contemplates a new and improved modular bingo console system which overcomes the above-referenced problems and/or others.